A busy week for Assemblyman Ceretto

by jmaloni

Fri, Jun 15th 2012 07:00 am

State Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-Lewiston, was quite
active this past week.

Making the Case for Small Business
Mandate Relief

Earlier this week, the Niagara USA Chamber held a forum at
the Power Vista at the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston to discuss ways to reduce
costs for local businesses and make New York a more competitive place to own
and operate a company.

"Mandate relief is an important issue to me, because
unfunded mandates are the cost-drivers that have resulted in New York
homeowners paying some of the highest property taxes in the nation," Ceretto
said. "Unfunded state mandates have a severe impact on our small businesses,
school districts and local governments.

"All across the state our communities are being hit with
unfunded mandates that put pressure on property taxpayers and local job
creators. These mandates not only suck up diminishing local resources, they
also place additional burdens on job creators. These unnecessary Albany rules
and burdensome requirements are burying us under 49,000 pages of fiscally
irresponsible state mandates.

"That's why I've joined my fellow lawmakers in Albany in
supporting legislation to repeal the Wage Theft Prevention Act's notice
requirement, eliminate the unemployment surcharge and end other
business-crushing mandates to help promote job growth.

"I applaud the efforts of the Niagara USA Chamber and all
the panelists at the event for shedding more light on this issue. I urge my
colleagues to work together in this final week of session to pass unfunded
mandate relief for small businesses and send the message that New York state
is, indeed, open for business."

Animal Advocacy Day in Albany

Ceretto attended Animal Advocacy Day at the state Capitol. He
was joined by a group of bipartisan lawmakers as well as pet and animal owners
from across New York to call for the enactment of tougher animal-cruelty laws.

"Today's event highlighted the need to enact greater
protections for New York pets and to enhance the state's ability to crack down
on animal abuse," Ceretto said. "Our pets are members of the family in addition
to serving as companion animals to those with disabilities. These furry friends
need to be protected from abuse, and policies must be enacted, which will
require psychological evaluations for those who harm animals."

Among the bipartisan legislation supported by Ceretto and
others are measures to require anyone convicted of Buster's Law to undergo a
psychiatric evaluation (A.1580/S.5084 and A.1567/S.3805) and be placed on a
registry of animal abusers (A.1506/S.3804) as well as bills to increase
penalties for animal fighting (S.3806 and A.4407/S.3237).

The event's timing was significant for the region, thanks to
the recent announcement that Niagara County Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals will become a no-kill shelter for at least a day and have
redoubled their efforts to increase pet adoptions at the shelter.

Earlier this year, Ceretto, State Sen. George Maziarz and
other local officials called for an investigation into allegations of
mistreatment of animals at the SPCA of Niagara. As a result of the
investigation, a new board of directors was installed at the society, which has
led to several policy changes at the SPCA of Niagara.

"I am excited that the Niagara County SPCA is taking steps
to, hopefully, become a no-kill shelter and is working to expand their adoption
program," Ceretto said. "I believe all efforts should be made to ensure the
adoption of abandoned animals and the new board's actions should be commended."

Marijuana Not the Prescription for
New York

Ceretto released a statement explaining his vote against
Assembly bill 7347-B, which would legalize medical marijuana.

"The medical benefits of marijuana are not immediately
clear, and the vague nature of this bill presents the possibility of abuse,
placing our state's children at greater risk," he said. "There are several
alternative medications that already provide the relief those with chronic
illnesses need and deserve. The approval of this bill only opens up our society
to unnecessary risk and is not the right solution for helping the seriously
ill."

Expands Protections for Region's
Youth

Finally, Ceretto helped pass legislation prohibiting
children 16 years of age and under from using ultraviolet tanning beds and
requiring 17-year-olds to have parental consent before using the beds. The
purpose of the bill is to help reduce rates of skin cancer, the most common form
of cancer in the U.S.

"Indoor tanning beds pose a greater risk for children and
teens by boosting overall lifetime exposure to harmful UV rays, which over time
make people more susceptible to melanoma and other skin cancers," Ceretto said.
"By prohibiting tanning for those under 16, we are helping to reduce exposure
to harmful ultraviolet rays and sending a clear message that indoor tanning
poses real health consequences."